Reunion
by Celestial Calamity
Summary: Ty Lee has conflicted feelings about her unpredictable friend.


**Title**: Reunion

**Summary**: Ty Lee has conflicted feelings about her unpredictable friend.

**A/N**: This is my first attempt at femslash. Enjoy. :3

**Dedications**: This is dedicated to **Katorra** (who doesn't have a fanfiction account that I know of), who inspired me to write Tyzula on Tumblr. Some of the scenes (the ones in the end especially) in this oneshot belong to her. :D

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**Reunion**

_"_The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become."

—**Mark Twain**

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**A**zula was free.

But, she was also very, very angry. She was angry that she was thrown in some pathetic excuse of a mental hospital. She was angry she was robbed two precious years of her adolescent — all because of her stupid, untalented brother. Her dimwitted brother had stolen her birthright away from her.

She was no longer insane.

Right after the newly appointed Fire Lord's coronation, he had hired one of the best physicians available in the country. After several months of undergoing rigorous treatment, the healer had deduced that Princess Azula didn't lose her mind after all — she had suffered a severe mental breakdown. Azula staunchly believed her own mind had turned against her during her most vulnerable moment. She had been weighed down from all that paranoia, anxiety, disappointment and betrayal she was feeling. It was so bad that she started seeing hallucinations in the form of her very own mother.

Even during Sozin's Comet, she felt her firebending become erratic and uncontrollable, even when her powers had been heightened tenfold. Had she been her usual calm and calculating self, she would have been quite capable of defeating her traitorous brother and the Water Tribe peasant he brought along.

Her healer thought it was a good idea to visit the palace again. She wanted to gauge Azula's reaction to the sudden change of scenery. Of course, the healer insisted that she would be with Azula during the visit. Stupid bitch just wanted to go back to the place where she had been defeated, Azula thought bitterly.

She was transported to the palace via palanquin. Mentally unhinged or not, Azula was still a Fire Nation princess. Her brother greeted her warmly, despite the fact that she tried to kill him multiple times in the past. He had grown taller, and Azula hated to admit, he looked every bit a Fire Lord should.

It disgusted her.

"You've changed," he said. She had grown considerably taller during her imprisonment, and developed a curvaceous frame over the years. Of course, the robes she was clad in refused to acknowledge that. Not that she minded, Azula thought. She even allowed her hair to grow several inches.

"That's what being incarcerated in a mental hospital does to you," she spat out.

"Now, now Azula!" her healer chided her. "Be nice to your brother."

Azula harrumphed. She wanted to scream that it was his fault entirely she was like this — if only she had been the only child. She wouldn't have to deal with the complications of having an older sibling. She wouldn't have to fight for the throne. But, she kept her negative feelings bottled up inside.

It wouldn't do if she started an argument already.

"I have a surprise waiting for you inside," her brother enlightened her. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes warily. She knew her brother was still seeing Mai, the knife wielding turncoat she was. Whenever Zuko came to visit her, he almost always brought Mai along. In the beginning, the two could barely tolerate each other. Azula believed their friendship was damaged beyond repair, there was too much bad blood between the girls. Besides, there was no way Azula was going to forgive Mai's sudden change of loyalty that caused Azula to become paranoid. Even Mai had been one of the causes of her mental collapse.

Mai was present that evening. But, that was not the surprise.

No, the surprise was her mother. _  
_

To make it even worse, her mother had the audacity to shed tears — _tears_, Azula shuddered — and pulled her daughter in a tight embrace. She hated crying. It was a sign of weakness, and she was ashamed when she cried during her defeat in front of her brother and the waterbending wench.

Crying brought back unpleasant memories. Memories that she wished were forgotten.

Azula refused her mother loved her. It was obvious Ursa (Azula didn't know if her mother was given back her title princess, especially since her father was thrown in his own kind of jail) preferred Zuko over Azula, despite the fact that Zuko was nothing like his prodigal sister, Ursa had loved him unconditionally.

"Why did you leave?" Azula demanded.

Suddenly, her mother's jovial expression was replaced with one akin to melancholy. She noticed her brother release a tired sigh and she smirked. Her mother's sudden disappearance was a topic that should have been left untouched. "It's not something I'm proud of. I promise I'll tell you about it another time, Azula."

It wasn't the response Azula was expecting, but she tried to shrug off the comment. She couldn't. All she felt was disappointment.

She was grateful Uncle Loser wasn't there. He was rumoured to have settled somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, and opened a tea shop in the Upper Ring.

"How is your treatment going?" her mother asked her, her tone sickeningly sweet. She seemed genuinely concerned about her well being, Azula thought. Maybe . . . perhaps she _did _care about her? No. She scoffed at the notion. Her mother loved her brother more than she loved Azula.

"Fine," she said, not making eye contact.

Dinner was surprising refreshing. Azula never did like the food they usually served at the hellhole. She relished in the taste of the rich and delicious food that were presented at the large table that was enough to seat twenty people. She loved the variety of spices she detected with her tongue.

She quickly tuned out the noises in the background. Meanwhile, Zuko was unsuccessfully attempting to make conversation with her.

"I'm surprised you two aren't married yet," she was saying. Zuko blushed, his face slowly turning crimson. "Back when you reinstated prince —"

"Can please we talk about something else please?" Mai sounded annoyed at her antics, sporting a disdainful expression. Unlike Zuko, who now looked like he had an uncanny resemblance to ripe strawberries, she seemed unaffected by her offhanded remark and looked like she wanted to change the topic.

Azula briefly wondered how two completely different people could be attracted to each other at all.

She focused her attention on her food and ate in complete silence when she realised her brother had given up trying to communicate with her. She turned her head to the side to see Takashi, her persistent healer, give her a reproachful look. Rolling her eyes, Azula ignored her healer as well.

Azula remembered Takashi was taking note of every single thing she did during her visit. She was told repeatedly to put on her best behaviour if she wanted to shorten her stay at the mental hospital. At that very moment, she realised someone very important was missing.

"Where's Ty Lee?"

She could feel the tension in the atmosphere build up.

"She joined the Kyoshi Warriors shortly after the war," Zuko replied. "Speaking of Ty Lee, she did come visit us a few months ago."

Azula snorted. "She joined that merry band of girl warriors with the hideous makeup and the horrible garb? When did Ty Lee develop such bad taste?"

"She joined them because she probably wanted to forget all the unpleasant memories she had from being friends with the likes of you," Mai deadpanned.

Azula narrowed her eyes. When did Mai become this outspoken person? "You think you're so high and mighty just because you're fucking my brother."

"Azula!" Takashi scolded her patient. "You will cease to use such vulgar language around your people, especially considering the fact that you're a princess —"

"The hell _I_ am!" Azula roared indignantly, standing upright on her feet. "If I am a princess, then where is my crown? Where is my honour? A princess is nothing without her crown and her honour. To me, you are nothing of importance. You know what? Screw _this_. I don't care if I have to go back to that hellhole."

Before Azula left the dining room, she caught a glimpse of her mother's expression. Ursa looked crestfallen.

Azula simply didn't care anymore.

**T**y Lee was nervous.

According to Mai's letter, Azula was allowed to leave the institution for two weeks. Apparently, Azula had been asking about her old friend.

The Kyoshi Warrior paled. Did Azula want revenge after Ty Lee had betrayed her? The possibilities were endless when it came to Azula. The firebending prodigy was unpredictable. It was difficult to anticipate what her next move would be. Ty Lee was certain Azula knew this and often used it to her advantage.

Ty Lee harboured no animosity towards Azula, even if she threw her in Boiling Rock prison. It just wasn't a part of her character. Another part of her believed she still held lingering feelings towards her former friend but Ty Lee knew what she felt would always be unrequited. Not to mention forbidden and unorthodox.

She felt her eyes burn with tears.

The following week, Ty Lee returned to the Fire Nation for the first time in years. The entire time, she was twiddling her thumbs contemplating about how Azula would react when she saw her. Years ago, Zuko had told her she had lost her mind, and there was a slim chance of recovery. Ty Lee had cried for her best friend when she heard of the news. She still did. Now, she felt a spark of hope ignite in her chest. What if Azula had not lost her mind after all?

"Well, well, well."

A chill ran up Ty Lee's spine as she recognised the voice. Ty Lee had greeted Mai and Zuko earlier, gushing about what a lovely couple they made. Zuko told her Azula had requested a private audience with her. Zuko had taken extra precautions, though. Guards were stationed outside their door.

"Hello, Ty Lee," Azula greeted her with her trademark smirk. Ty Lee resisted the urge to chew on her thumbnail. "Glad you ditched the warrior outfit."

"I'm not going to apologise for what I did," Ty Lee blurted out unceremoniously. Rebelliousness was certainly not a flattering trait on her old friend.

Azula was taken aback at her old friend's uncharacteristic behaviour.

"If I hadn't done what I did, you would have killed Mai."

Azula let out a derisive snort. "Don't be ridiculous. A bit of lightning would have rendered her in a state of unconsciousness. Or given her severe brain damage. Whatever. I wouldn't have killed Mai. My dad would've been upset if I killed the governor's daughter. A rebellion was the last thing we needed, of course."

"So . . ." Ty Lee began slowly. "You weren't going to kill Mai? At all?"

"Did I stutter?" Azula demanded.

"Why did you want me to come back here?" Azula didn't appear to be angry about her decision. Was she merely toying with her again? Ty Lee swore she would not fall victim to Azula and her infuriating machinations ever again. "My life would be miserable as long as I stayed in the Fire Nation."

"Good question," Azula said, moving closer.

Ty Lee felt her body tense as she flinched at the sudden movement.

"Oh please, Ty Lee, I'm not going to kill you. I would've tried to kill you already."

She raised a good point, but Ty Lee still felt dubious.

"What do you want?" Ty Lee asked nervously.

Suddenly, Azula gripped Ty Lee's hand.

"I spent most of my time in prison," Azula began to whisper, cocking her head to the side. "Wondering simply _why_ I was so upset by your betrayal. Sure, I was angry why Mai betrayed me — she chose my own brother over me, after all. Then, the idea clicked, and everything suddenly just made sense."

Ty Lee felt hands curl around her neck. Azula had kissed her roughly on the lips.

Azula _was _kissing her. She couldn't believe it, Ty Lee thought as she threaded her fingers through Azula's hair. She wondered how she hadn't noticed how long they've grown. Azula simply looked ethereal, without her signature boyish hairstyle. Ty Lee could feel her curves through the robes Azula was wearing.

Azula needed to put her hair down more often, Ty Lee mused. She definitely looked even more beautiful, if that was possible.

As she pulled away she licked her lips and said in a dominant whisper, "I want you, Ty Lee."

The two girls spent their remaining period of time together. In the end, Ty Lee had promised to visit Azula often, which was going to prove to be difficult seeing Ty Lee lived in the Earth Kingdom with the Kyoshi Warriors whereas Azula was trapped in a mental institution situated in one of the Fire Nation's many islands.

Nevertheless, Ty Lee was confident their unconventional relationship would work.

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I hope I did this pairing justice. I'm not very good at writing romance. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as always. :)


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